1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toxoid(s) for the prevention of Clostridium perfringins type E enterotoxemia in rabbits and to a process for the production of this toxoid(s).
2. The Prior Art
Enteritides resulting in acute diarrhea are unquestionably the most serious causes of post weanling rabbit deaths in rabbitries surveyed throughout the world (Whitney, J. C. 1976, A Review of Non-Specific Enteritis in the Rabbit, Lab. Anim. 10: 209-221; Whitney, J. C., D. K. Blackmore, G. H. Townsend, R. J. Parkin, M. E. Hugh-Jones, P. J. Crossman, T. Graham-Marr, A. C. Rowland, M. F. W. Festing and D. Krzysiak, 1976, Rabbit Mortality Survey, Lab. Anim. 10: 203-207). Unfortunately, aside from diarrheas of known causes such as salmonellosis and coccidiosis, controversy still exists as to the classification and the etiology of various other types of rabbit entertides (Flatt, R. E. 1974, Bacterial Diseases, Pg. 194-236, In, S. H. Weisbroth, R. E. Flatt and A. L. Kraus (Ed.), The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit, Academic Press, Inc., New York; Meshorer, A. 1976, Histological Findings in Rabbits Which Died of Mucoid Enteritis, Lab. Anim. 10: 199-202; Whitney, J. C. 1976, a Review of Non-Specific Enteritis in the Rabbit, supra). Nevertheless, one major cause of acute diarrheal death in rabbits has long been recognized as an enterotoxemia (Lesbouyries, G. and M. Berthelon, 1936, Enterotoxemia du lapin, Bull. Acad. Vet. Fr. 9: 74-82) and, until recently, the etiological agent had not been identified (Orcutt, R. P., H. L. Foster and A. M. Jonas, 1978, Clostridium perfringens type E Enterotoxemia as a Cause of Acute Diarrheal Death or "Hemorrhagic Typhlitis" in Rabbits, Absrt. #100 in Publication 78-4 of the Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.; Patton, N. M., H. T. Holmes, R. J. Riggs, and P. R. Cheeke, 1978, Enterotoxemia in Rabbits, Lab. Anim. Sci. 28: 536-540).